Page 4 of Tempted to Love You
Ms. Tamika’s food truck caters to people who love Jamaican cuisine, and her oxtails are some of the best I’ve ever tasted. I have become a frequent customer, which is why Ms. Tamika is questioning my order this evening. I usually get the oxtails with rice and cabbage, but today I’m craving the cabbage more than the rice.
“I’m sure. I have a mean craving for your cabbage, so I need a double order today,” I respond before jerking upon feeling someone touching my back lovingly. A grimace fills my lips, and my eyes tighten when I turn to see a blast from the past.
“Hey, baby,” Tiana purrs while batting her tarantula lashes, staring lustfully at me.
Tiana Humphrey is the woman I was dating before getting caught up and serving five years behind bars. She’s also the woman who broke up with me shortly after, when she couldn’t accept the fact that returning to the street corners wasn’t on myagenda post-release. Running into Tiana is one of the downsides of Ms. Tamika’s location.
“Aye, is this you, Mr. Crawford?” one of the employees ofBending Minds, Reshaping Heartsasks, reminding me of his presence.
Ronzell is partly the reason I’m on this side of town and frequenting Ms. Tamika’s truck. He doesn’t have a car, and I’ve been taking him home from work for the last week.
“Not anymore, but that was a lapse in judgment I want to change,” Tiana interjects.
“Humph.” Ronzell smirks, looking from me to Tiana, causing my brows to hike at the single-word response like he knows something I don’t.
Without another word, I step out of Tiana’s hand placement and return my gaze to Ms. Tamika.
“Here you go, baby,” Ms. Tamika tells me, handing me the container that instantly causes my stomach to growl at the aroma penetrating my nostrils.
Handing Ms. Tamika the cash for my order, I step out of the way so Ronzell can order his food so we can be on our way.
“Are you really not going to say anything to me, Rakai? I’m woman enough to admit I made a mistake with you,” Tiana remarks.
The problem with Tiana’s statement is that her mistake was my confirmation because our relationship wasn’t meant to go anywhere. Tiana loves men who can supply her with lavish things while she does the bare minimum to deserve them. I was willing to provide for her because I was young and thought she cared about me more than the things I did for her. The lesson came swiftly when she dropped me without a backward glance after learning I was done selling drugs. The reality let me know that not only did I have to elevate my life but also the caliber of women I gave my time and attention to.
“I think everything was said a few years ago. I don’t have any hard feelings, but I won’t be doubling back. I’m not Cornelius, and you definitely ain’t Ashanti,” I respond, looking her up and down with a slight curl in my lip.
Social media got women thinking their fairytale would turn out like the famous couple who make spinning the block look like a dream. I ain’t the man to buy into that fantasy, especially with a woman whose loyalty was never with me in the first place.
“You ain’t all that, Rakai. Just because you’re doing good doesn’t mean I?—”
“Aww. This is cute, but if I were Ed McMahon, you’d be jumping up and down right now. Again, I don’t have any hard feelings for what you did, nor am I open to reconciling with you. Be easy, though.” Turning away from Tiana, whose face is now a mask of anger, I address Ronzell with my plans. “Aye, I’ll be in the car when you’re done.”
With that, I walk away before Tiana ruins my damn appetite. I’ve been looking forward to these oxtails all day, so I’m not about to waste my money on a woman who couldn’t commit to my changes.
Latia
“Are you out of your damn mind, Latia? Why the hell would you let Becky talk your black ass into going to the projects? Then you got the nerve to do it at night like those ninjas won’t sniff your green ass coming a mile away. I blame Rita and Herbert for sheltering you too much growing up. This is some bullshit,” Keisha rants, causing her voice to bounce around the interior of my car like a bass drum.
My scary ass stupidly called Keisha to tell her where I was heading, and she’s been fussing since I’d finished telling her my reasoning. Despite my confidence when speaking to Melinda, it took me two weeks to build enough confidence to follow through with the plan. Seeing the tiredness in Melinda’s eyes at work today, I decided that today would be the day to activate my investigative skills. I’m hoping that I can blend in with the residents, so I’m dressed down in a pair of leggings that mold to my lower half like skin, a bonnet covering my full head of hair, and a halter top that amplifies my bountiful breasts nicely. For added effect, I’m wearing a pair of slides that I hope won’t announce my presence as I move from building to building within the run-down housing development.
Between my pulse racing and the drumming in my chest, I didn’t have much rebuttal for Keisha because I’d just turned into the complex entrance. The area is hustling and bustling with various people roaming the streets. The dilapidated buildings sitting an inch apart give off a silent warning that this area isn’t for the faint of heart. Each building has chipping gray paint, old windows, and, somehow, an echo of struggle that pinches my chest. My Spidey senses are tingling, and warning bells are echoing in my ears, causing my chest to tighten, making it difficult for me to breathe.
“Do you have your earbuds with you?” Keisha asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Mhm,” I mumble while rolling my eyes despite Keisha’s inability to see me.
“Good. You’re taking me with you since it’s too late for me to accompany you on this dummy mission. If something happens to you, I’m going to jail because I’m beating Becky’s ass.”
A slight smirk upturns my lips at Keisha’s threat toward Melinda, whom she refuses to address by her real name despite me telling her what it is.
“Calm down, Keish. You’re making this worse, and I’m already between peeing on myself and fleeing these projects like a racecar driver.”
“Then piss and flee at the same time. Fuck Becky and her need to involve the foolish black woman too sensitive and caring to know when to decline involving herself in other people’s problems.”
Pulling into a parking space where three buildings sit in front of me, I inhale and exhale slowly, trying to calm myself. Thankfully, I’m not the only car filling a space, so I should be okay to park here without incident. The trembling in my extremities and the unsettling feeling in my stomach are begging me to abort this mission. Whoopi Goldberg’s famous line toDemi Moore inGhostabout danger starts playing on a loop when my eyes roam the area. My bladder threatens to release upon seeing an angry man grab a woman by her neck while shaking her like a rag doll.
“I’m here and parked, which means I need to get out of the car if I plan to be incognito. People are milling around, so I should be able to move around undetected,” I tell Keisha, who’s huffing and puffing on the other end.
